Silent film fest comes to town

1924: American comedian Buster Keaton (1895-1966) armed with only a magnifying glass and a copy of 'How To Be A Detective' hopes to become a great detective in the film 'Sherlock Junior'.

Published:14:51Friday 21 April 2017

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Silent films will be brought to life with live musical accompaniment as part of an annual festival that will see screenings in Wakefield.

The Yorkshire Silent Film Festival will feature 40 screenings, ten solo musicians, two orchestras and a jazz band when it tours across 15 venues in Yorkshire.

The festival, which runs from May 5 to 31, will visit Trinity Church, Ossett, at 8.30pm on Monday, May 22.

To celebrate 100 years since Buster Keaton made his first comedy, the screening will be of Sherlock Jr, with a piano accompaniment by Jonny Best. The film follows a poor, young projectionist who wants to marry the daughter of a wealthy man, despite some underhanded tactics from a love rival. When he falls asleep, he dreams of being Sherlock Jr, the world’s greatest detective, and is tasked with solving a crime for his girl’s father.

The 2017 tour will also take in Halifax, Hebden Bridge, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Hull, Leyburn, Saltburn by the Sea, Scarborough, Sheffield, Settle, Thirsk and York. The Yorkshire Silent Film Festival is the UK’s biggest festival of silent film with live musical accompaniment. The programme is full of legendary names such as Buster Keaton, Greta Garbo, Cecil B. DeMille, Alfred Hitchcock, Georges Melies, Ivor Novello and there are films from around the world.

Tickets for the Ossett event cost £8-£10 and are available from ticketsforgood.co.uk or 01924 263497.

For a full programme of screenings, visit www.yorkshiresilentfilm.com, follow @yorkshiresilent on Twitter or search for them on Facebook at facebook.com/yorkshiresilentfilm.

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